Butuan city: Mindanao will soon have its own disaster resource center, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. said Thursday as he announced the ongoing construction of a new facility in Butuan City. During his inspection of the Visayas Disaster Resource Center (VDRC) in Mandaue City, Cebu, Marcos stated that the Mindanao Disaster Resource Center in Butuan City would likely operate by the end of 2027.

According to Philippines News Agency, Marcos, joined by Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian, inspected the VDRC's new mechanized production system, which includes an upgrade of automatic vacuum packaging lines to its disaster response infrastructure. Funded through the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (NDRRM) Fund and completed in July 2025, the PHP117 million project aims to enhance disaster preparedness and improve response mechanisms throughout the Visayas region.

The VDRC serves as the primary production, storage, and logistics hub for disaster response operations in the Visayas and Mindanao, playing a key role in the timely preparation and distribution of relief goods to communities affected by natural disasters and other crises. From 2016 to January 2026, the VDRC produced 8,977,512 family food packs (FFPs). Marcos noted that the center's daily production has significantly increased to 300,000 FFPs from an average of 5,000 to 8,000 FFPs.

Marcos emphasized that production would continue until it reaches about five million or more. He mentioned that the machines used were specifically designed for this purpose, highlighting the importance of the production system. He also stated that FFPs nearing their expiration would be distributed to qualified beneficiaries to avoid the wastage of government resources.